Car-fender



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIPPE WENTZEL AND HENRY BLETZER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-FEN DER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,547, dated December 6, 1892.

Application filed September 12, 1892. Serial No. 445,605. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PHILIPPE WENTZEL and HENRY BLETZER, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have jointly invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompany ng drawings, is a specification.

I This invention relates to life-saving carfenders for cable, electric, or other motor-propelled street-cars, and has for its object the prevention of serious injury to persons or aninals that may be struck by the car; and it Is carried out as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents aperspective view of a street-car, showing the improved car-fender held in its normal position thereon; and Fig. 2 represents a similar view showing the cradle or catcher released and swung upward for receiving a body or object after being struck by the fender.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

{8 represents a motor-propelled car of any suitable construction, and B represents the front end or cross-beam of the platform, as usual. To the end ofthe car orits platform or cross-beam are secured orpivoted a pair of forwardly-projecting, preferably curved, brackets C C, which are connected together, preferably, by means of lateral stays or braces O O, as shown in the drawings. To the upper ends of the brackets C O is pivoted the curved cradle or catcher D, having, preferably, attached to its upper end a lateral brace or shaft d, the ends of which are journaled in bearlngs 1n the brackets C O, as shown. The said curved cradle may be made of sheet metalin whole or part, or covered with wire-netting or other suitable material, or padded, if so desired, without departing from the essence of our Invention.

D is a lateral brace or cross bar secured to the lower forward end of the cradle or catcher D, which is normally locked in the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of a transverse rocker-bar E, pivoted to the lower front ends of the brackets O C and having one or more llps e e, projecting over the brace D, as shown in Fig. 1.

F F are springs which serve to instantly swing the cradle or catcher D upward as soon as its lower end is released from the rockerbar E and its locking lips or projections. In the drawings we have shown such springs as coiled ones located on the shaft or brace d and pressing against the front end of the car; but this is not essential, as other forms of springs may be used, if so desired.

The front end of the car above the fender may be cushioned or padded to more effectually prevent injury to persons or bodies struck by the moving car.

The operation is as follows: Supposing that the spring-pressed cradle or catcher D is swung downward and locked in position by means of the rockerbar E and its lips or projections, as shown in Fig. 1, if, as the car moves forward,an object or person is struck by the rocker-bar E, it will cause the latter to turn forward, thus releasing the cradle or catcher D, which receives the person or object and swings upward by the influence of its springs to the position shown in Fig. 2, thus holding the person on the cradle and preventing him or her from dropping off, and allows such person to rest securely on said catcher until the car can be stopped. After a person or object has been removed the eradle or catcherD is swung downward, as shown in Fig. 1, and locked in position by means of the rocker-bar E, as hereinbefore mentioned.

Having th us fully described the nature, construction, and operation of our invention, we wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim- In combination with the brackets O O, the

spring-actuated cradle or catcher I), pivoted.

PHILIPPE WENTZEL. HENRY BLETZER.

Witnesses: ALBAN ANDREN, J OSEPH F. HANKINS. 

